The 2012-'13 season for the Golden State Warriors proved to be a huge lift for a fan base that desperately needed it. Unlike the lightening in a bottle "We Believe" team whose success seemed more attributed to gimmicky coaching and revitalized, bounce-back seasons from several disgruntled veterans, the 2013 NBA Playoffs seemed to be this Warrior team's coming out party and, provided the core can stay healthy and intact, the Warriors' best years seem ahead of them. With that in mind, it's time to evaluate who is in this picture for the long haul and who on the roster can be deemed expendable.

I figured with so many threads tossing around the idea of who to keep and who to ditch - from David Lee to Jarrett Jack to Carl Landry - we might as well clear the board and set aside a single thread to consolidate this topic. The following is my evaluations from the past season and a bottom line for every player as far as how long I expect Golden State to value them:

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STARTING 5

C - Andrew Bogut #12

Simply put, the Warriors have 4 core players who, collectively, make them an elite team. Figuring out how to play alongside each other, while management finds role players to fill in the cracks, is all that stands in this team's way from being a contender in the Western Conference. Bogut's role is the soul of the defense. Sure, his assist-to-turnover ratio could be mistaken for an elite point guard, his ferocious throw-downs are valued as team cat nip, and his screens are perhaps the most effective means for getting Thompson and Curry into a shooter's rhythm, but Andrew Bogut makes his money by cleaning up the defensive glass and shutting down the basket within 5 feet. The Warriors made massive strides defensively without Bogut for the majority of the season. When Bogut can maintain health and stamina, the Warriors become a lock-down defensive team, as Milwaukee was during Bogut's tenure. When paired with an offensive 4, Andrew Bogut becomes an elite center; as in the top 4 or 5 in the game today.

As stated above, the top 4 Warriors create a team that is better than the sum of it's parts. Lee's contributions were exposed in the San Antonio series, where the Spurs - knowing that Bogut is not an offensive threat - overloaded the smallest 3 Warriors on the floor in the hopes of daring Golden State's front court to beat them on the bailout. With Carl Landry slumping, Mark Jackson was forced into employing a stretch 4, and while Harrison Barnes put up video game numbers, the result was typical for a Nellieball strategy: the Warriors were bounced from the playoffs in 6 games. That defensive scheme falls apart when Lee is in the lineup. When he's right, David Lee is the fulcrum of the Warrior offense whereby everything can and should run through him. He's a top-notch pick-and-roll 4, a tough screen setter, and an offensive juggernaut with absolutely everything at his disposal besides 3-point range - including skills that are not typical of an NBA 4, such as handles, court vision, and ambidexterity. He's one of the league's premiere offensive rebounders, plays 80+ games a year, as tough as they come, and puts up double-doubles as well as anybody in the game. His leadership does not show up on a stat sheet, but cannot be overstated.

Regular season grade: APost season grade: D+, due to injuryFuture with team: Long-term; contract expire not eminent

SF - Harrison Barnes #40

Like big men going to Olajuwon's post camp over the off-season, Harrison Barnes should be banging on Corey Maggette's door this summer because that is exactly the type of lesson this guy needs. A matchup problem for virtually any defender, Barnes is too strong for 3's and too quick for 4's. Corey Maggette mastered this body type and made a career at the foul line by bullying smaller opponents and driving around bigger ones. Harrison Barnes can shoot, he can rebound, and he can play decent defense... but the Warriors have players who can do all of those things better than him. If Barnes could learn to dominate in single-coverage - which, based on his body type, there's no reason he shouldn't be able to - the Warriors could clear a side for him and reacquire the isolation game that was lost when Monta Ellis left town. Barnes could not be in a better situation; having clever finishing big men and nuts-on shooters surrounding him, he is virtually guaranteed man coverage for the majority of the games he'll play next year. Why didn't he dominate earlier in the year, you ask? Because Jackson played him as a stretch 4 in the playoffs which hid his biggest flaw: HB can't handle the ball yet. Once his handles catch up to his elevation, Barnes will dominate 3's the same way he dominated 4's and that will bode well for EVERYONE in the Warriors' lineup.

Regular season grade: CPost season grade: BFuture with team: Long-term; still on rookie contract

SG - Klay Thompson #11

Coming back to the Core-4 concept, Thompson is just as valuable as anybody else in Golden State because he is Stephen Curry's protection. Like a cleanup hitter ensuring the 3-hole bat see's some quality pitches, Thompson makes Curry more dangerous by defending the better guard on defense (letting Curry stay fresh) and not allowing opposing defenses to play bigger men consistently on SC30, because Thompson is big enough to play the 3 and shoots the lights out in his own right. A fundamental masterpiece, Klay Thompson has range for days, scores better the further away he gets from the hoop, and heats up like his battery mate in the backcourt. When Klay gets going, there's simply no defending Golden State because the best shooter in the world is within passing range and even if you completely explode the defense to cover every part of the 3-point line, there's an all-star 4 in the paint waiting to score 25 points in his own right. Curry and Lee make up the inside-outside dichotomy, but Thompson is there to make sure teams know they can't cheat on either Warrior all-star. The smartest thing Gregg Poppovich did in the post season was using his best defender to shut down Klay Thompson so that he could double-team Curry with no fear of paying for it. Sure, he could have put Leonard (the superior defender) on Curry, but then Thompson would have abused Green or Parker or whoever would have rotated to him. By leaving Leonard on Klay, the Spurs eliminated Thompson from the picture, gave Danny Green credit for d'ing up Curry (when, really, Curry was getting rushed by multiple guys), and without Lee to capitalize inside, the Warriors couldn't score. As much as Lee's value was on display when the Warriors got tossed out of the playoffs, Thompson's was as well because San Antonio viewed defending him as the marquee strategy of the series. A healthy Lee (and an improved Barnes) addresses that issue.

Regular season grade: B+Post season grade: B-Future with team: Long-term; still on rookie contract

PG - Stephen Curry #30

What more needs to be said? A superstar. If there was ever any doubt, that doubt has been obliterated. Curry shut up every one of you skeptics who hesitated in wanting to resign him, he shoved it down the Monta fans' throats for 'picking the wrong guy,' he blew up Ray Allen's single-season 3-point record (with 60 less attempts, in his 4th NBA season), and he made perhaps the loudest statement OF ALL TIME for those of us who have been calling the all-star game a glitzy popularity contest. Seriously. Stephen Curry may very well have been the most heinous all-star snub in the entire history of the National Basketball Association. Let that statement sink in. If he didn't have ankle issues, this guy would be a top 5 NBA player and nobody could say any different. I said before the season that Bogut would get the Warriors to the playoffs, but they'd only go as far as Curry could take them. Get used to hearing that for the next 10 years, Warriors fans. And if this ownership can improve this team every HALF as drastically as they have in their first couple years as owners, this is a championship caliber franchise player. With enough protection so teams can't triple-team him whenever he gets the rock, Curry can lead a team to a friggin ring. You heard it here first, folks.

I believe Jarrett Jack's role on this team is a long term asset. I don't necessarily believe the player is. The Warriors, as they did last season with Nate Robinson, benefitted from having a curveball in their arsenal. Turning Curry into a shooting guard for 20 minutes a game and having a starting-caliber guard, the likes of Jack, in tow is a positive for the team no matter how you slice it. And not only is Jack's role important, but he himself is worthy of praise as well. Jack is an emotional leader; 8th Ave correctly acknowledged that Jack is a big moment player who hits big shots and doesn't crack under the pressure. The problem is: a big part of Jack's value this year came as a 3-point shooter, where he shot uncharacteristically well (to the tune of 5% north of his career norms). And, secondly, many of the things Jack contributed will be undoubtably replaced next season by the returning Brandon Rush: the defensive choice for a 3rd guard, the outside shooting, the driving game... these are all things that Rush can provide. Which makes Jack's premium talent, and most important aspect of his game to this team's success, his playmaking. With that in mind, Jose Calderon is a better pure point guard and is also on the market. Outside of that, you're looking at a drop-off in production from what Jack brought this year... even if you resign him. There's no real guarantee that the Warriors will be able to replicate Jack's career season, no matter who they bring in. I've acknowledged all year that I don't trust Jack, for whatever reason, I can't explain it. So, personally, I won't shed any tears if we lose him, especially since backup point guards are a dime a dozen. But I have a feeling the Warriors value his leadership, his vocality, and the chemistry he brought to this team. For that reason, I can't hate if they choose to resign him with their MLE. I'm transparent here; either/or is good with me.

Regular season grade: B-Post season grade: B+Future with team: Undecided; likely to be resigned w/ a 3-year MLE

SG - Brandon Rush #4

The Warriors' biggest need this entire season was a lock-down perimeter defender. Rush can be that guy. The Warriors' best bench player was Jarrett Jack who stepped up as a scoring punch off the bench to the tune of 13 points on 40% behind the arc, didn't whine about his playing time, and remained capable of spot-starting. Rush can be that guy. Quite simply, if Brandon Rush comes back fully healthy and shows no signs of reoccurring damage to that injured ACL, it will be as though the Warriors traded for another gun. Don't forget: Mark Jackson was mulling over Brandon Rush as a starter in the beginning of the year and, with Barnes' scuttling out of the gate, Kansas City's Finest likely would have found himself in the opening introductions as the starting 2. Rush is found money. There's zero downside to him coming back next year and if he performs anywhere near how he played in 2011-'12, he'll provide needed bench depth for a Dubs squad looking to contend.

Regular season grade: IncompletePost season grade: IncompleteFuture with team: Short-term; will likely seek big money after comeback year

PF - Carl Landry #7

The Bay and Carl Landry had a great honeymoon period last season. He came outta the gate hot, he provided solid low-post scoring to a franchise who could count low-post scoring 4's on one hand in the past 30 years, and he roared with a Hulk Hogan pose amidst countless and-1 plays that included heavy-contact or slick reverse lay-ups. That being said, this will be an amiable break in the near future (meaning after next season if Landry doesn't opt out this summer). Dirty Landry wants to start somewhere, he'll easily be priced out of the Warriors' long-term plans, and - ideally - Golden State wants a bench big with a little more athleticism and range. Somebody who can run the floor and spot corner 3's while still hitting the defensive glass on the other end. It was a fun year, but it ran the course for both parties involved. Landry gave the Warriors great minutes off the bench and the Warriors gave Landry a lot of tick on a platform to attract other suitors. There's not a lot that Landry provides that the Warriors can't get elsewhere.

Regular season grade: B-Post season grade: D+Future with team: Short-term

BENCH DEPTH & PROSPECTS

C - Festus Ezeli #31

Arguably, the Warriors' best regular season rookie, Ezeli filled in for a top 5 NBA center and the Warriors didn't seem to miss a beat in the win column. Bogut calls Ezeli, "'weights-wise' the strongest player on the [Golden State] roster." He's huge, he's muscular, he's mobile enough to run the floor, he finishes over established shot-blockers, and he rebounds ferociously. Next season will be a big test for Festus Ezeli. If Andrew Bogut can't play more than 30 games, the Warriors will realistically look at next year as an audition for the starting center spot in their camp, potentially letting Bogut walk as a free agent. If Bogut recovers and stays healthy, the Dubs may think about listening to offers on the kid because he already seems capable of being a quality NBA starter. But even if that happens, don't expect it to go down until he's on the final year of his contract prior to his big extension. Ezeli is the absolute ideal backup NBA center. After decades without a single guy to man the 5 spot, the Warriors now have - arguably - a top 5 starter and a top 5 backup.

Regular season grade: C+Post season grade: C-Future with team: Long-term; still on rookie contract

PF - Draymond Green #23

I used my second round pick in our fantasy GM NBA draft, before the season, to nab Draymond Green for the Trailblazers and I believe I was one of like 3 people here to be genuinely excited when we got this guy on draft day. Green is a born winner, an emotional asset, and a loyal scrapper who will fight for his team to the absolute death. There's not a real high ceiling on this guy because his game is predicated almost entirely on effort and hustle, but you need a couple of those guys on your bench and at practice to keep everybody sharp. Unlike many people who want to see Green develop into an outside shooter, I don't care if Draymond ever learns to hit the 3-point shot because his true position at the NBA level, IMO, is power forward. He's a double-tough rebounder, a tenacious defender, and the perfect guy to bring in for some instant toughness. Rather than develop that outside shot, I want to see Green become a premiere screen-setter because I believe he possess the toughness and scrappiness to do it. And on a team with these kind of shooters, screeners are more important than extra gunners.

Regular season grade: C-Post season grade: BFuture with team: Long-term; still on rookie contract

SF - Richard Jefferson #44

RJ still brings intensity to the floor, which is admirable. He plays decent defense and rebounds and makes the right play. In the beginning of the year, he was irritating because he seemed to fancy himself as the top gun on the B-squad, but Jefferson mellowed out and quit taking so many ridiculous shots after a while and as a 3rd/4th swingman off the bench to play situational defense and run offense out of the corner (spot-up or drive baseline), you could do a lot worse than Richard Jefferson. And, good God, is he gonna free up some SERIOUS scratch in another year when his DLee money comes off the books.

Who cares? Seriously: who cares? If we trade him with a prospect for an overpaid but talented bench gun, I'm happy. If we staple him to the bench and let him expire so he can go back to Latvia and bang his trophy wife, I'm cool with that. But for the love of God, I can no longer stomach hearing people talk as if he'll ever put it back together. Just stop, fools. It's been 5 damn seasons. He's trash now. Get over it. I can be as nostalgic about We Believe as anyone, but acting like Andris Biedrins has the passion, the heart, the drive, the will, or the ability to put any sort of stock back into the player we all hoped he was becoming is ignorance at this stage of his career and nothing more.

I think he's better than 12th man status, but the return of Brandon Rush will make this dude expendable. Too damn bad, too, cause guys like Bazemore and Turiaf, getting all hype on the bench, are a beautiful display of team love that I absolutely enjoy as a viewing fan.

Regular season grade: DPost season grade: FFuture with team: Undecided, likely get dropped due to financial reasons ala Jenkins/Tyler

Untouchables: Barnes, Curry. Barnes is on his rookie contract and has high upside. Never get rid of high upside rookie contract players unless you can get a top five player in the league. Curry is a top ten player in the league with a value contract. He is an untouchable.

Most expendable main rotational young player on our team is Klay. Klay is a brilliant shooter with fantastic defense, but his upside is limited because he's not super athletic. But he is a top level prospect in this league and can be included in a package to get a difference maker. If the right deal comes along, you have to move him, otherwise he should be a main stay.

Lee and Bogut are both expendable to me if we can either get Kevin Love or Dwight Howard. Both gettable players. Other wise, keep it the same.

Tough choice since the team is set up nicely, bigger role for Bazemore, and return of Rush, we are stacked at the SG position, everyone on a rookie contract is untouchable. easier to replace Jarret Jack, than Landry. So Jack.

Nice review 32. I think we can replace Jack with a cheaper PG who'll do almost as good a job. I do like Jack and I'm certain that he played a big part in the chemistry of this team but I think his price tag will be too steep for the Warriors to re-sign him. Calderon would be excellent.

The Warriors can't afford to keep everybody. Landry will opt out and the Warriors are looking for an athletic stretch 4 for their bench big. Nobody will take RJ or Biedrins on for less salary; that's a pipe dream.

Realistically, the Warriors will give Jack the MLE, let Landry walk, and slide Green up to backup 4. If the Warriors go out and get anybody, it'll probably be a guy like Josh McRoberts; a cheap big who can run the floor better than Lee, Bogut, and Ezeli.

Dwight Howard is considering signing with the Golden State Warriors as well as the previously reported Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks, a source close to the player said Thursday.

I don't think anyone's expendable because the Warriors had one of those years where so many players contributed to and were involved in the team's success. But I'd say Landry is most expendable, simply cuz he's a backup PF and Lee is a starting PF. One can get you post scoring, the other can give you post scoring, rebounding, and passing. Hoping Warriors can bring back both Jack and Landry though.

32 wrote:How in the name of God can 2 people have voted for David Lee?

Anyone wanna man up and explain how you figured our All-NBA 3rd team player is our most expendable player? Moreso than BENCH players...?

Outside of Warrior fans there's a lot of people who believe he didn't deserve to be on that list. I'm talking about fans in general. Honestly speaking I was pleasantly surprised that he made it myself. Anyway, the only reason this is even a discussion is because we unseated a 3rd seeded team and took San Antonio to 6 games. We had Lee (without Bogut) against the Denver in the regular season and won 1 game out of 4 by 1/10th of a second. You probably don't put much stock into that, but I do. Although I think Lee is very good, I don't think this team's success hinges on him.